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Getting a puppy. Please advise. (1 Viewer)

Rirruto

Rirruto

Footballguy
I'm getting a French bulldog puppy. I never really had a dog growing up and I'm worried I'll screw the little guy up. But people my age have middle schoolers, so I should be able to do this. What do I need to know about dog ownership? Explain it to me like I'm a drunk kindergartner with a learning disability who is strung out on heroin.

I work 8-5, but I'm home for lunch 99% of the time. I've heard to potty train you lock them in a crate all day. Is that humane? Will he be cool going out in the morning, lunchtime, and when I get home? I guess I lock him up at night too? That sounds awful. What about the day or so a month I can't get home for lunch? Do I need to have someone check in on him? How long until he knows not to poop everywhere? I'm picking him up at about 8 weeks old. Is it fair to get this started right away or is he too young to know what's going on?

I think I get the basic idea as far as things to have for him. Food, leash, collar, crate, toys, treats, water/food bowl etc. Is there anything that a dumb person wouldn't know to get for a dog?

How often does he need to go to the vet? When does he need to get fixed? He comes with all his shots and a checkup. Am I good for a few months? I know kids need shots like every 5 minutes. I'm not trying to Jenny McCarthy this dog or anything.

How long until I choose the dog over a stranger?

 
Good luck. I was off all summer when I got my pup at the end of June. If I wasnt off, no idea how I would have functioned with the getting up at night. I would take her out once every two hours for a month. She got the hang of it but there will be accidents.

Buy a clicker and watch some clicker videos. Cliff Clavin gave me a few good.ones to watch.

Crate training is important for your dog and you. It seems awful but its not so bad. We stopped at a year. Now she is lying right next to me in bed as I type this

 
Crate is fine while the dog is still a puppy but you'll move on from that once the pooch is house trained.

Use the crate for training but NEVER, NEVER use it as punishment. Dogs will use the crate to sleep, rest, and it's their place of security. My dog who recently passed still went in his travel bag during the day as a place to sleep, because he took comfort there. If the dog eliminates in the crate, he was left there too long. That's your fault and you should consider a dog walker.

Use a spray bottle with water for negative reinforcement, it works well. When a dog eliminates in the house, spray with water, say no, take outside. Rinse and repeat and he'll be trained in no time. Use bottle for destruction-related training also, Frenchies like to chew so you'll lose some shoes. Spray, say no, move on. Do not strike the dog. You can use the bottle from everything from teaching it not to cross the street (curb is your friend) to furniture he might be forbidden from using.

Get some raw hides, pigs ears, anything they can shew to their heart's content. A dog will chew a pig's ear before he chews your shoe, it's a good investment. Also don't feed him bull#### cheap food, feed him natural blends and stuff that is actually healthy. You'll get him fixed maybe at about 6 months, or not. I never fixed my last two male dogs and they did fine. If they start humping everything in sight, probably need to do something but they are gonna hump pillows with or without balls. Females need fixing because the last thing you want is a pregnant woman in the house. :mellow:

Vet checkups are twice a year usually, with maybe one or two more trips to split up the shots. I have always split up rabies and distemper vaccines on separate visits, because those vaccinations are very strong. Angie's List a good vet in your area and try to get the same Doc every trip. They get to know your dog and it makes for a better experience. Vet isn't cheap man, so it might as well be pleasant.

3 days to choose the dog over the stranger, then every day after that for the rest of your life. Good breed choice, those dogs are awesome. Congrats.

 
Oh and those guys are garbage disposals. It will eat anything and everything. I personally recommend bully sticks over regular rawhides. They will swallow it if you don't take it away soon enough. Bully sticks digest well, but have heard about rawhides getting stuck in the digestive track.

 
Don't crate him while you're away. At 8 weeks they really can't hold their bladder for more than 2-3 hrs MAX. If he pees or poops in the crate it will set back the training big time. I'd recommend getting a pen and locking him in there with Pee pads and a bed.

 
I was exactly like you when we got our first dog, a boxer. I was able to get home at lunch maybe 95% of the time. Eventually that other 5% became a problem. It's just not right to do to a dog if you can't get there. Have a backup plan. You'll know when you can let him sleep out of the kennel at night.

GL...we're thinking of a Frenchie next.

 
I trained my dog to ring a bell when he wants to go out. Just remember, when in doubt, take him out. He will have to poop/pee within 15 minutes of eating. Guaranteed.

 
Crate train. It will be tough the first month as 4 hours is about the limit of their bladder at 8 months. After that it will get better, potty just before you leave each time. On the days you can't get home at lunch I'd either leave him outside (non-crate) or arrange someone else to let him out. keep reinforcing command words and positive behavior. Don't scold as it will probably be your fault anyway.

 
Once they are trained there is no need for the crate, although, depending on their personality and where you would like them to sleep there isn't any harm in keeping it. Unless you want them to sleep in it I'd leave it as an open door a policy and see if they want it or not.

 
tonydead said:
Once they are trained there is no need for the crate, although, depending on their personality and where you would like them to sleep there isn't any harm in keeping it. Unless you want them to sleep in it I'd leave it as an open door a policy and see if they want it or not.
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This, absolutely correct. Once you have the open door policy you'll find that the dog actually will use this area when he wants some alone time (although a Frenchie may never want alone time).

I'm emailing breeders up and down the east coast myself looking for a puppy. Giant Schnauzer or Norwich Terrier, not a whole lot of difference there. :lol:

 
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.

 
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Bucky86 said:
I trained my dog to ring a bell when he wants to go out. Just remember, when in doubt, take him out. He will have to poop/pee within 15 minutes of eating. Guaranteed.
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When active mine will pee every ten minutes, but at least she will go to the door 90% of the time. She has never messed the crate and has been in there up to 8 hours at night. Pick up the water at 9pm.

 
Tremendous advice all around. Thanks guys. I've been doing a lot of research over the last month or so. I really feel bad about leaving the dog alone for most of the day. Especially a puppy. After reading the thread, I'm 99% sure I'm just going to get an older dog. It's probably best for all involved.

 
Some of your other questions:

If you pick him up at 8 weeks he should have 2/3rds of his puppy booster shots. You'll need to ask, but, probably need to take him in at three months for his final round of shots before you go to the yearly shots. After the first year you should be able to get rabies and distemper etc done every three years (depending on your state laws). The only shot that isn't vailble in 3 year doses is the kennel cough which you can get nose applications at your local farm supply store and do it yourself and you just keep recorrd of that. This saves a lot of $ in vet bills when they are young.

You should get him neutered at 6 months of age.

If he is smart, and you've trained him well, you won't have any accidents after 6 months.

Dog over stranger as soon as he's trained, no doubt.

 
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.
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She'll be fine with lots of positive reinforcement. She's so young that all of what she was up against can be overcome.

I have a Scottish Terrier that I rescued when she was 3 or 4 from a puppy mill. She was probably beyond saving when we got her but she was so shy and didn't require attention, which was perfect because our other dog was a dominant #1 bull who demanded max attention. Scotties are weird anyway, but this dog is about as weird as they come. Still very shy (not timid anymore, just very shy) and she still has issues with me even though I have always given her the appropriate amount of love and the like. She does respond well to my woman but she is very cat-like and likes to be on her own mostly. Good dog, good watch dog, but she went through hell in that puppy mill. Who knows what they did to her.

I'm fine with her being a weird coach potato, she's about as low maintenance as a dog can be.

 
Training of some sort from jump(meaning, from you), and pro stuff if necessary at 3-4 months(and not talking the puppy classes at PetSmart. All those folks do is watch a video before being deemed a "trainer". Although it's fine for socialization, I suppose).

I'd advise against actual rawhides. Especially when they have the needle puppy teeth. They can shred them in no time and that crap doesn't break down all the way in a dog's belly. Go with the pig ears or the dental chews your vet prolly sells. They'll both break down in puppy's belly if he/she manages to eat a couple chunks of it whole.

Also make sure you get him/her checked out IMMEDIATELY for stuff like Parvo and Giardia upon adoption. Even from "reputable" breeders, but especially if it's a rescue. Some rescues aren't all they're cracked up to be, and others who may be totally legit utilize fosters for their pups. All it takes is one dog to have Parvo at a particular foster/facility and if he eliminates in an obtrusive place every other pup who has co-habited there for up to 9 months could contract it. You need to catch that noise early or it could be really bad juju. Our 3 year old knucklehead was a rescue who had "been given a complete checkup and treated for Parvo", etc. 5 days after we adopted he was lethargic and vomiting. Guess what he had? Rescue wound up weaseling out of paying for his treatment too(long story). My main point is this; Don't trust that your pup has been screened for Parvo/Giardia/etc. unless there is documentation of the tests. It's a relatively easy/cheap screening and if it hasn't been done you could be adopting a very sick little guy/girl. And if you don't catch it very, very early it's usually fatal. We got very lucky(other than the vet bills, of course).

Saw you posted again while I was typing. I'd say go that route if you're willing to take an older dog. Usually less headaches and less surprises, plus it's a pretty safe bet that if you don't adopt a puppy it's going to eventually get adopted anyway. Older dogs? Not so much. If you're willing to adopt a dog that's a bit older it's far more likely you're actually "rescuing" it than if they were still just a pup.

 
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FatUncleJerryBuss said:
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.
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What issues? Maybe we can help. 9 week old issues shouldn't be too difficult, especially retriever. Male or female?

 
5-ish Finkle said:
Training of some sort from jump(meaning, from you), and pro stuff if necessary at 3-4 months(and not talking the puppy classes at PetSmart. All those folks do is watch a video before being deemed a "trainer". Although it's fine for socialization.

I'd advise against actual rawhides. Especially when they have the needle puppy teeth. They can shred them in no time and that crap doesn't break down all the way in a dogs belly. Go with the pig ears or the dental chews you vet prolly sells. They'll both break down in puppies belly if he manages to eat a couple chunks of it whole.

Also make sure you get him/her checked out IMMEDIATELY for stuff like Parvo and Giardia upon adoption. Even from "reputable" breeders, but especially if it's a rescue. Some rescues aren't all they're cracked up to be, and others who may be totally legit utilize fosters for their pups. All it takes is one dog to have Parvo at a particular foster/facility and if he eliminates in an obtrusive place every other pup there could contract it. You need to catch that noise early or it could be really bad juju. Our 3 year old knucklehead was a rescue who had "been given a complete checkup and treated for Parvo", etc. 5 days after we adopted he was lethargic and vomiting. Guess what he had? Rescue wound up weaseling out of paying for his treatment too(long story). My main point is this; Don't trust that your pup has been screened for Parvo/Giardia/etc. unless there is documentation of the tests. It's a relatively easy/cheap screening and if it hasn't been done you could be adopting a very sick little guy/girl.
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A rescue is just that, a rescue. You are taking in a dog that has been abused, in a bad situation, or unwanted. It's a risk. it's not like getting a puppy from a breeder but IMO it's about the same as getting a puppy with no health certificate off Craigslist. Or worse, from a pet store.

 
5-ish Finkle said:
Training of some sort from jump(meaning, from you), and pro stuff if necessary at 3-4 months(and not talking the puppy classes at PetSmart. All those folks do is watch a video before being deemed a "trainer". Although it's fine for socialization.

I'd advise against actual rawhides. Especially when they have the needle puppy teeth. They can shred them in no time and that crap doesn't break down all the way in a dogs belly. Go with the pig ears or the dental chews you vet prolly sells. They'll both break down in puppies belly if he manages to eat a couple chunks of it whole.

Also make sure you get him/her checked out IMMEDIATELY for stuff like Parvo and Giardia upon adoption. Even from "reputable" breeders, but especially if it's a rescue. Some rescues aren't all they're cracked up to be, and others who may be totally legit utilize fosters for their pups. All it takes is one dog to have Parvo at a particular foster/facility and if he eliminates in an obtrusive place every other pup there could contract it. You need to catch that noise early or it could be really bad juju. Our 3 year old knucklehead was a rescue who had "been given a complete checkup and treated for Parvo", etc. 5 days after we adopted he was lethargic and vomiting. Guess what he had? Rescue wound up weaseling out of paying for his treatment too(long story). My main point is this; Don't trust that your pup has been screened for Parvo/Giardia/etc. unless there is documentation of the tests. It's a relatively easy/cheap screening and if it hasn't been done you could be adopting a very sick little guy/girl.
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Super good point, forgot about that. Any good vet will but make sure they check on the 3month visit. No matter what they say if the breeder has a lot of dogs there is a decent chance the pup could have worms too.

 
Doctor Detroit said:
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.
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She'll be fine with lots of positive reinforcement. She's so young that all of what she was up against can be overcome. I have a Scottish Terrier that I rescued when she was 3 or 4 from a puppy mill. She was probably beyond saving when we got her but she was so shy and didn't require attention, which was perfect because our other dog was a dominant #1 bull who demanded max attention. Scotties are weird anyway, but this dog is about as weird as they come. Still very shy (not timid anymore, just very shy) and she still has issues with me even though I have always given her the appropriate amount of love and the like. She does respond well to my woman but she is very cat-like and likes to be on her own mostly. Good dog, good watch dog, but she went through hell in that puppy mill. Who knows what they did to her.

I'm fine with her being a weird coach potato, she's about as low maintenance as a dog can be.
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Thats cool glad it worked out. I dont know what to do with mine. I wont hit her and nothing deters her. It is weird, she is so timid, but once you show weak, she attacks. My daughter brought over her terrier that is 5 and smaller than the pup. When they first met she went after dd(daughters dog) . Dd put her in her place and she peed herself. Later on she went after dd again to play, dds dog half snapped at her, the showed weakness and pup went on her. When she is in hyper mode there is nothing i can do to make her stop. You can put her on her back for two minutes and when u let her up she comes back harder. Been a rough ride, especially when she is biting. When she is not in hyper play mode she is sweet as hell.

 
Good thread. Don't know about you guys but I'm cuddled up against 200 pounds of Labrador and 130 pounds of human female right now. Good night!

 
tonydead said:
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.
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What issues? Maybe we can help. 9 week old issues shouldn't be too difficult, especially retriever. Male or female?
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I posted to dd

 
Doctor Detroit said:
A rescue is just that, a rescue. You are taking in a dog that has been abused, in a bad situation, or unwanted. It's a risk. it's not like getting a puppy from a breeder but IMO it's about the same as getting a puppy with no health certificate off Craigslist. Or worse, from a pet store.
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Don't even get me started on pet stores. Pretty much guaranteed those are all from some kind of puppy mill that's cranking out new litters at break-neck speed.

Main point about rescues was that, even with the better ones, don't trust that the pup has been fully tested for typical puppy issues unless you see paperwork. Chances are they probably haven't been(not fully). Calling it "buyer beware" when you specifically ask if the dog has been screened for X/Y/Z and are told it has, when it really hasn't, doesn't really fall into that category in my mind. That's pretty much lying. Actually, it's straight up lying. When we adopted our guy all that rescue had to have done was say "Nah, we didn't get that test run yet. He got the shots, but we never tested him after that." At that point, I pay 30 bucks for a pooh test, it gets caught day one, and my boy doesn't get anywhere near as sick as he did.

 
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FatUncleJerryBuss said:
Doctor Detroit said:
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.
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She'll be fine with lots of positive reinforcement. She's so young that all of what she was up against can be overcome. I have a Scottish Terrier that I rescued when she was 3 or 4 from a puppy mill. She was probably beyond saving when we got her but she was so shy and didn't require attention, which was perfect because our other dog was a dominant #1 bull who demanded max attention. Scotties are weird anyway, but this dog is about as weird as they come. Still very shy (not timid anymore, just very shy) and she still has issues with me even though I have always given her the appropriate amount of love and the like. She does respond well to my woman but she is very cat-like and likes to be on her own mostly. Good dog, good watch dog, but she went through hell in that puppy mill. Who knows what they did to her.

I'm fine with her being a weird coach potato, she's about as low maintenance as a dog can be.
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Thats cool glad it worked out. I dont know what to do with mine. I wont hit her and nothing deters her. It is weird, she is so timid, but once you show weak, she attacks. My daughter brought over her terrier that is 5 and smaller than the pup. When they first met she went after dd(daughters dog) . Dd put her in her place and she peed herself. Later on she went after dd again to play, dds dog half snapped at her, the showed weakness and pup went on her. When she is in hyper mode there is nothing i can do to make her stop. You can put her on her back for two minutes and when u let her up she comes back harder. Been a rough ride, especially when she is biting. When she is not in hyper play mode she is sweet as hell.
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It sounds like she's going to need a lot of socialization but she's in the right situation. Gonna be a challenge for you, not all dogs are like your girl that just passed. I create a Facebook post every month for my main man I lost in September, I'm not even pretending I'll ever have a dog like that again. I'll take 80% and be happy.

 
5-ish Finkle said:
Doctor Detroit said:
A rescue is just that, a rescue. You are taking in a dog that has been abused, in a bad situation, or unwanted. It's a risk. it's not like getting a puppy from a breeder but IMO it's about the same as getting a puppy with no health certificate off Craigslist. Or worse, from a pet store.
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Don't even get me started on pet stores. Pretty much guaranteed those are all from some kind of puppy mill that's cranking out new litters at break-neck speed.
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I want to **** punch anyone involved in those operations. Maybe becoming some sort of puppy mill mercenary, just going Liam Neison on these #######s.

These people are no better than drug dealers IMO.

 
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Doctor Detroit said:
I want to **** punch anyone involved in those operations. Maybe becoming some sort of puppy mill mercenary, just going Liam Neison on these #######s.

These people are no better than drug dealers IMO.
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I'm willing to come on board with you for that. Hell, my wife would be the ####### grim reaper on those types. We could just sit back, point her at a target and watch the carnage unfold.

 
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Love our puppy. Nine months old now, potty trained, social, overall fantastic mutt from a rescue. Pulls a bit when walking but the biggest problem is chewing on stuff! He loves stuffed animals but they last maybe a few days. Does anyone have suggestions for stuffed animals that are tougher to chew through? He easily gets through the ones that are labeled tough.

 
AcerFC said:
Good luck. I was off all summer when I got my pup at the end of June. If I wasnt off, no idea how I would have functioned with the getting up at night. I would take her out once every two hours for a month. She got the hang of it but there will be accidents.

Buy a clicker and watch some clicker videos. Cliff Clavin gave me a few good.ones to watch.

Crate training is important for your dog and you. It seems awful but its not so bad. We stopped at a year. Now she is lying right next to me in bed as I type this
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Exactly. Puppies are like babies. IMHO you need to be off almost a full month (or more) to raise a puppy. They need to go out every hour during the day and likely a few times at night.

You simply cannot leave a puppy at home for hours at a time much less 8 hours. It's not fair to them nor your house.

 
My wife is starting a pet sitting/walking business for this exact reason.

You can pay someone to come to your house and let them out for a half hour or so?

 
Also recommend a rescue dog. We got lucky with our dog my daughter picked out at the animal shelter. I'm sure it's hit or miss with a rescue dog. It's a shame how many dogs are kicked to the curb and eventually euthanized.

 
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Funny that my wife is getting a French Bulldog next Friday. We have seen the puppy several times and everyone is super excited to see her come home. My wife and kids named her Lola, and she is so small compared to dogs I have owned. We have an older English Bulldog female that is 7 years old and I hope they get along ok. Bella the older dog has done great with other animals in the past so hopefully it will go well. Have to take Lola and get a microchip done as I think about it.

Anyone have their female dogs spayed at a young age? I am thinking of having Lola spayed asap.

 
SHIZNITTTT said:
Funny that my wife is getting a French Bulldog next Friday. We have seen the puppy several times and everyone is super excited to see her come home. My wife and kids named her Lola, and she is so small compared to dogs I have owned. We have an older English Bulldog female that is 7 years old and I hope they get along ok. Bella the older dog has done great with other animals in the past so hopefully it will go well. Have to take Lola and get a microchip done as I think about it.

Anyone have their female dogs spayed at a young age? I am thinking of having Lola spayed asap.
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I believe females are spayed around 6-8 months of age.
 
comfortably numb said:
My wife is starting a pet sitting/walking business for this exact reason.

You can pay someone to come to your house and let them out for a half hour or so?
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My 13yo son does this, makes $25/week to let a dog out after school and make sure it has water. Takes about 10 minutes if he's not playing with her much that day. He'll dog sit for others when they're on vacation and makes decent money for it.

 
Bucky86 said:
Oh and those guys are garbage disposals. It will eat anything and everything. I personally recommend bully sticks over regular rawhides. They will swallow it if you don't take it away soon enough. Bully sticks digest well, but have heard about rawhides getting stuck in the digestive track.
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We were instructed by the rescue organization where we adopted our dog last summer to not give her rawhides. Items like that are very hard to find if they are swallowed and they have to go for an x-ray.

 
Bucky86 said:
SHIZNITTTT said:
Funny that my wife is getting a French Bulldog next Friday. We have seen the puppy several times and everyone is super excited to see her come home. My wife and kids named her Lola, and she is so small compared to dogs I have owned. We have an older English Bulldog female that is 7 years old and I hope they get along ok. Bella the older dog has done great with other animals in the past so hopefully it will go well. Have to take Lola and get a microchip done as I think about it.

Anyone have their female dogs spayed at a young age? I am thinking of having Lola spayed asap.
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I believe females are spayed around 6-8 months of age.
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I thought I saw something on TV that French Bulldogs can't naturally reproduce.

 
Rogi said:
I thought I saw something on TV that French Bulldogs can't naturally reproduce.
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IIRC, they can reproduce fine, it's the actual birthing that's the problem.

Just like english bulldogs, they've been inbred so much to get their iconic look that those giant melons have a very high chance to really mess up the mother if they don't C-section the pups.

 
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Bulldogs, in general, are very stubborn. People think they are dumb but that's not the case. You will need a little more patience when training them versus other breeds.

And make sure you start socializing them as soon as possible with people and other dogs (supervised, of course).

 
eoMMan said:
Bulldogs, in general, are very stubborn. People think they are dumb but that's not the case. You will need a little more patience when training them versus other breeds.

And make sure you start socializing them as soon as possible with people and other dogs (supervised, of course).
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:lol: yeah they can be real ##### sometimes, but they're sweet. They're food dependent when it comes to training. They'll do absolutely anything for a treat. My dog will lay in bed and refuse to get up until he hears me grab the treat box. :lmao: such a ####, but I love him.
 
Rogi said:
Bucky86 said:
SHIZNITTTT said:
Funny that my wife is getting a French Bulldog next Friday. We have seen the puppy several times and everyone is super excited to see her come home. My wife and kids named her Lola, and she is so small compared to dogs I have owned. We have an older English Bulldog female that is 7 years old and I hope they get along ok. Bella the older dog has done great with other animals in the past so hopefully it will go well. Have to take Lola and get a microchip done as I think about it.

Anyone have their female dogs spayed at a young age? I am thinking of having Lola spayed asap.
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I believe females are spayed around 6-8 months of age.
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I thought I saw something on TV that French Bulldogs can't naturally reproduce.
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Well that may be, but when they are in heat they drip blood everywhere. It is pretty nasty to find small glops of blood on everything, or to step into a blood puddle.

 
sn0mm1s said:
I didn't get pet insurance with my first pet. That is a mistake I will only make once.
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French Bulldog owner here, and can't agree more with this. The breed has a number of health issues as it stands, and getting pet insurance can/will save $$$$ in the short and long term. And make sure you get the insurance asap: once the vet notes anything about the dog on the file, it becomes a "pre-existing condition" and won't be covered.

Also, Frenchies are just the freaking best! Enjoy.

 
Rirruto said:
I'm getting a French bulldog puppy. I never really had a dog growing up and I'm worried I'll screw the little guy up. But people my age have middle schoolers, so I should be able to do this. What do I need to know about dog ownership? Explain it to me like I'm a drunk kindergartner with a learning disability who is strung out on heroin.

I work 8-5, but I'm home for lunch 99% of the time. I've heard to potty train you lock them in a crate all day. Is that humane? Will he be cool going out in the morning, lunchtime, and when I get home? I guess I lock him up at night too? That sounds awful. What about the day or so a month I can't get home for lunch? Do I need to have someone check in on him? How long until he knows not to poop everywhere? I'm picking him up at about 8 weeks old. Is it fair to get this started right away or is he too young to know what's going on?

I think I get the basic idea as far as things to have for him. Food, leash, collar, crate, toys, treats, water/food bowl etc. Is there anything that a dumb person wouldn't know to get for a dog?

How often does he need to go to the vet? When does he need to get fixed? He comes with all his shots and a checkup. Am I good for a few months? I know kids need shots like every 5 minutes. I'm not trying to Jenny McCarthy this dog or anything.

How long until I choose the dog over a stranger?
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Make sure you look at a harness that goes around the chest instead of a standard collar around the neck when going on walks. It's better for the dog if he decides to pull. Make sure any toys you get are fairly indestructible (rubber Kongs are a good start). Ours chewed through a number of "cute" toys until we found the brand called Tuffy .

Frenchies are really people dogs, so dont be surprised if he wants to be on you all the time. And while they do need daily exercise, they don't necessarily need to run for 30 min a day. A good 20 minute walk can do the trick.

As far as leaving the dog home alone all day, we did this: bought a portable pen (around 6' diameter) and set it up in the living room. We put her crate inside, and put a bunch of piddle pads on the ground in case she had to go during the day. We also put a rubber toy and water dish in there. In this environment she was confined, safe, and could go in and out of the crate whenever she wanted. It took a little over a year before she had full run of the house all day while we were gone.

 
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
tonydead said:
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
First off, I had the dog in my avatar for 14 plus years, got her at 6 weeks old from a good home and she was easy to train. I trained her myself. She passed in november. I got a puppy 9 weeks old 3 weeks ago, from a bad situation where she was bullied. Same exact breed as my other. I need help because she has issues since she was bullied. Issues I cannot fix alone I think. When she hits 4 months I will pay for training. Make sure your puppy is being taken care of right before you buy.
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What issues? Maybe we can help. 9 week old issues shouldn't be too difficult, especially retriever. Male or female?
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I posted to dd
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Just a couple suggestions. You stated, "Dd put her in her place" not 100% sure what that means but you can't discipline with aggression with aggressive dogs. You need to be strong and calm, if that makes sense. I'd use the leash to try and teach her how to play and socialize with other dog. A firm but calm pull and redirect of her during play with lots of positive reinforcement for good behavior.

I know a lot of people don't even like the word shock collar, but, pet trainer makes some that have multiple modes; beep, vibrate, and shock with level settings for vibrate and shock. For play training our last pup the simple beep sound when inside was loud enough to redirect the bad or aggressive behavior. If that doesn't work a vibrate or low level shock probably would.

If she gets in hyperactive mode it might be pent up energy. More exercise and a long walk next time just before she has a play date.

 
Some great advice on crate training.. DD is spot on about making sure you do NOT use it as a punishment. We have a 1 1/2 year old Boxer/Dachshund mix (yes, he looks ridiculous) rescue that we crate trained recently. He no longer has to go in his crate when we are gone as he is potty trained. We left the crate up because he likes to hang out in there from time to time. I'll find out 12 year old hound mix in there from time to time. He barely fits in there and has never been crate trained in his life. Funny how dogs will get jealous.

As far as "tough" toys, we end up having to go with Kong brand toys and strong nylabone chews. http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/by-product-type/non-edible-for-powerful-chewers.php

 
Great advice in here so far. Puppies can be a little work but the reward is awesome. Good Luck

I type this as my Terrier is crashed at my feet after a 2 mile hike this afternoon!!!

 
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